1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to manufacturing systems and methods for manufacturing sheet-like structures comprising sheet members with prescribed forms and predefined cord members.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, in sewing sheet-like structures in which predefined cord members are sewn onto sheet members of a prescribed form, cord members and the sheet members are sewn together in a longitudinal direction of the cord members in order to sew the cord members and sheet members firmly. When a large quantity of sheet-like structures are manufactured continuously for example, a cord member is reeled out linearly and sewn continuously with a thread while plural sheet members are arranged at predetermined intervals so as to be in contact with the cord member. The cord member placed so as to connect each sheet member is cut to obtain prescribed sheet-like structures. In this case, a sewn area which continued from the area sewn with the sheet members is formed on the cord member with a thread member. This has caused problems in that, for example, the thread member starts to come off from free ends of the cord member in the sheet-like structures causing the thread member sewn onto the sheet member to also come off.
In order to solve the above problems, an absorbing member for tampons, which is sewn from the tail end that is a free end of the cord member toward the leading end that is the sheet-like absorbing member, with a double chain stitch for preventing the threads from coming off and for preventing separation between cord members and sheet members caused by the coming off of the threads, is disclosed in Japanese Registered Utility Model No. 2534839 (referred to as “Patent Document 1” below).
In the absorbing member stated in Patent Document 1, sewing starts from a free end of the cord member that is the tail end of the cord member toward the absorbing member that is the leading end is performed with a double chain stitch, thereby the thread is prevented from coming off by using a characteristic of the double chain stitch. That is, the double chain stitch has a characteristic in which when the seam at the tail end comes undone and only a bobbin thread is pulled off from the sewing end, the bobbin thread may come off and the whole seam may come undone; however, when the bobbin thread is pulled off from the threshold, the whole seam does not come undone. The whole thread members can be protected from coming undone as a result of the thread coming off from the free end of the extended portion that is the tail end of the absorbing member stated in Patent Document 1 by using the above characteristic of the double chain stitch.
However, the above thread coming off cannot be prevented completely in the absorbing member of Patent Document 1 because the thread member runs from the sheet member to the cord member continuously. Also, when this is used as an absorbing member for tampons, menstrual blood may leak from the free end side of the extended portion through the thread. In addition, the sewn area is formed continuously from the leading end of the absorbing member to the tail end that is a free end of the extended portion of the cord member, in the manufacturing process. Consequently, this still offer problems in that the thread is used more than necessary and the step of sewing requires excessive time. These are problems to be solved by the present invention.